Improvement in fare-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

THOMAS HOSTETTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. I

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,550, datedSeptember 1, 1874; application filed May 27, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, THOMAS HOSTETTER, of St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improved Fare-Box, of which the following is aspecification:

, This invention consists in a new and peculiar arrangement andcombination of devices, hereinafter to be more particularly set forth,whereby the opening action of the door operates a dividingplate inposition to receive the fare, and the closing action of the dooroperates the same plate to drop said fare and signal a bell.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation; Fig. 3, a rear elevation.

A isthe fare-box, having glass A A front and rear, to enable the driverand passenger to look in box. B is the hinged push-door, having at itstop a striker, b, which strikes the bell 12 secured in corner of box,when the door closes. To automatically close the door the same hasaweight, o The striker b being part of puslrdoor, hence the usualcomplicated mechanism to give the required bell-signal is here avo ded.A connecting-rod, O, has

I one end thereof hinged to the bottom edge of the push-door B. Theother end of said rod is hinged to the rear edge of the dividingplate1). The dividing-platel) is in inclined position, and turns byitspivotal bearings in the side framesof the box A, froinits originalinclined position to ahorizontal position, and vice versa, according tothe open and closing motions of the push-door; therefore (see Fig. 1)when the push-door B is open (dotted lines) the dividing-plate D isclosed, (dotted lines,) and when the push-door is closed (full lines)the dividing-plate is in the original position, (full lines.) Tofacilitate the return movement to original position of thedividing-plate D, the same has a weight, 01. p i

'It will benoticed that by the combined operation of the push-door anddividing-plate, as aforesaid-that is, when the former is open and thelatter dividing the interior of the box by its horizontal closure-thereis at same time, by said horizontally-positioned dividing-plate,prevented the possibility of extracting fares that have passed belowsaid plate, or which have been finally deposited in money-chamber. Inthe movement of the dividing-plate l) to its original position, the faredrops from said plate below on the inspection-plate E, where it can beinspected. The inspectingplate E slides horizontally in the box A. It isoperated by its rod 0, which is drawn outward, and in so doing saidinspection-plate is drawn with it and opens the money-chamber. By itscoil-spring c said inspection-plate is returned to again close themoney-chamber. In order, however, to insure a certain deposit inmoney-chamber of each and all fares, no

anatter in what position they may be on top of the inspection-plate, Ihave provided a reflector-scraper, F. The scraper F I arrangein'in'clined position Within the box, and so that its lower edge comesdirectly in contact with the top surface of the inspection-plate E. (SeeFig. 1.)

By the combined arrangement of scraper and sliding inspection-plate, asaforesaid, the former acts to scrape oii' fares on the top of the latterwhen same is operated to deposit said fares, and thus no fare is leftundeposited in money-chamber.

G is my money-chamber. This is virtually the bottomof the box A, itsbottom g proper being, for this purpose, made a hinged bottom. (Seefigures.) The use of an independent money-drawer is thus obviated.

-H is a tube, shown in dotted lines, chiefly. Said tube I arrange in theinterior of box A, so as nearly to reach the reflector-scraper F. (SeeFigs. 1 and 2.) The tube H passes out of top of box A, and is furthermade to connect with the lamp-box ordinarily used in one corner of cars.

The surface of the scraper F is a reflector; also, the interior surfaceof the tube H is silvered, or made to act as a reflector, so that therays of light from lamp in car aforesaid shall be directed to pass downsaid tube and be radiated by the surface reflector of the scraper F.

Thus the illumination for the inside of the fare-box is done withoutsmoke or grease; the use of a lamp-box side of fare-boxes, and 0therwise the inconveniences. of the ordinary method of achievingillumination for the farebox, are thus avoided.

I hereby disclaim the devices shown and describedin the patent of H.Baranger, No.- 122,549, dated January 9, 1872 3 but What I (10 claim is-The combination of the push-door B with weight 1), its. striker b, bellb, connecting-rod O, dividing-plate D, weight 01, arranged to 0perate inthe manner herein shown and described. V

In testimony of said invention I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS HOSTETTER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, CHAS. F. MEISNER.

